The First Walk
by AngelRose7
Summary: When the screen fades out of the second film this is my take on what happens next. This first piece CAN be read as a stand-alone OR as the first chapter of a much longer piece I am writing. Enjoy! Standard Disclaimers Apply.
1. Chapter 1 The First Walk

(Standard Disclaimers Apply) **The First Walk (By AngelRose)**

Gilbert stood on the centre of the bridge, and for once Avonlea's beauty faded into the background. He only had eyes for Anne, now more than ever, she was his whole world. She had just made his every dream come true; Anne Shirley had agreed to be his bride. She was **so** beautiful, both in face and most especially in spirit. She was smiling up at him, her eyes sparkling. They were holding hands still,  & now he realised she was trembling.

"Anne?" he realised his voice was trembling to. "Are you alright?" he asked.

"Oh Gil, I now know what it's like to finally be **perfectly** happy! I love you!" she gasped.

Gilbert swallowed. He had waited **so** long to hear Anne say those words; every since Diana had introduced them at the three-legged race all those years ago. Through all their spats, silly rivalry and their eventual friendship, his love for her had never once wavered. Even when she had tried to dye her red hair black and it had turned green, he had loved her. (Anne didn't know this yet, but Gil had given his best friend Moody a black eye for teasing her about that!) He knew for certain it was the hope her visit to his sickbed that had given him the will to improve, the very will to live. He searched for the words to say all of that and so much more, but they would not come; instead the best he could manage was her name. "Anne."

There was silence for a moment and then he tried again. "Anne, could I, could I ask you something?"

"Yes of course Gil, anything." Anne's voice made it crystal clear she meant it.

Gilbert blushed deep scarlet: "Well, this is going to sound silly, and I'm sure Mrs Lynde would say it's not proper, but could I please hold you, just this once, just so that I know this is really real?"

Speechless (for once), with love and happiness Anne threw herself into Gilbert's arms and clung to him as though her soul depended on never letting him go again (which of course it did).

Neither of them knew how long they held each other; each only knew that it could never be long enough. Anne eventually raised her head from Gilbert's shoulder. "Gilbert?"

He looked down to answer and was horrified to see that she had been crying. "Anne, Sweetheart, what is it? Have I hurt you?" he said afraid that he had held her too tightly.

Anne tried to smile through her tears: "No, no; your touch could never hurt me my Darling. It is I who have hurt you; all those times I turned my back on you, snubbed you, said horrid, spiteful, wretched things to you! How can you love me after all that? I'm sorry Gil. I'll understand if…"

"Anne Shirley stop. Stop right there. Don't think that, don't say that, and swear to me you'll **never, ever** think it. I love you, now I know you love me to. That is **all** that will **ever** matter now."

She tried to apologise again, but he realised that the only way to stop her was to kiss her thoroughly, which he did.

As they moved apart, Anne looked up into Gilbert's eyes: "Gil?"

"Yes Anne-girl?"

"I know this is going to be a difficult thing to do, but can we not tell anyone for now?" She saw Gilbert's face fall: "Oh, it's not that I don't **want** to tell anyone; I want the world to know how **perfectly** happy I am. It's just that tonight is Alice Penhallow's bonfire; it should be her night and Katherine is still so fragile in her friendship with me, I wouldn't her to feel that I was showing off and start hating me again. You understand that, don't you?"

Gilbert smiled. That was Anne, always putting others before herself. "Alright Anne, for the price of a kiss I shall promise to **try**. But not to tell **anyone**? 'On your head be it' if I burst!"

They both laughed and Anne paid her dues.

A few minutes later Anne sighed reluctantly: "I should be getting back. Marilla and Rachel will be wondering where I am and Katherine will be fretting something fierce…"

Gilbert was about to protest, but Anne stopped him with a finger to his lips: "Besides, your father, Marilla and Rachel will all 'raise Cain' at me if you catch a chill and I would **never** forgive myself.."

This last won him over: "Alright Anne, for you anything. Go if you must, but tell me you love me and then do it quickly before I hold you to me and never let you go."

Anne shivered; the look on Gilbert's face and the tone of his voice where so **intense** she knew he meant every word.

"I love you Gilbert Blythe." She said standing on tip-toe to kiss him on the cheek.

Then she turned, picked up the bushel of apples and walked quickly back to her side of the bridge. Just as she stepped onto the grass, she turned back: "Gil?!" she called.

Even though he had already turned and started back toward the Blythe farm at a faster pace than he had managed in a long time he turned: "Yes?"

"Meet me at the crossroads at 8:30 tomorrow morning. I know someone we can trust to keep our secret! Now go!"

The look on Anne's face told him not to ask questions; he knew that look of old and so did not dare defy it despite intense curiosity. He nodded: "I'll be there. I love you!"

"I love you!"

With that Anne turned and headed briskly for Green Gables; trying her would-be married name for size on her tongue:

"Mrs Anne Blythe," she aloud to a squirrel who crossed her path. Yes, it fit her heart perfectly.


	2. Chapter 2 Anne's Magical Mystery Tour

(Standard Disclaimers Apply) (N.B. Please read my story The First Walk before reading this)

 **Anne's Magical Mystery Tour (By AngelRose)**

The next morning Anne was up with the sun. She was particular to choose a dress Gil had admired her in and to do her hair in a way she knew he was fond of, then she crept downstairs. Careful not to wake Marilla, Rachel or Katherine, she set to, finished her chores in record time and leaving a note saying not to worry, she was with Gilbert and would be back by lunch-time, she picked up her purse and her flower-basket and set off for the crossroads. It was going to be a beautiful bright summer's day, but to be honest Anne would have taken this walk come rain, hail or snow. Her heart was drumming as she scurried down the road towards the crossroads. Had yesterday **really** happened? Were she and Gil **really** engaged? Suddenly she felt afraid that it had all just been a dream. Just as she had on the day she had arrived at her beloved Green Gables, she pinched herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming. 'Ouch! Yes, I felt that so I can't be dreaming.' She thought happily.

As she came around the last corner her heart sank, no Gil. She looked at her watch. It said five minutes past eight. True, they had not been due to meet until 8:30 am, but she had hoped that he would be as keen to see her as she was to see him. Damping down her disappointment, she hurried over to Lawson's General Store just as Alice Lawson was opening up. Alice greeted her with a surprised smile. "Good gracious Anne Shirley! I thought everyone would be resting after the bonfire last night and here you are, earlier than ever!"

"Good morning Alice. It's going to be a glorious day, isn't it?" Anne beamed. "Did you enjoy the bonfire?"

Alice nodded eagerly: "Yes it was great and Alice seems so happy. But the amount of dancing you and that Miss Brooke of yours were doing, you have no right looking so bright-eyed!" she teased.

Anne laughed: "I'm **so** glad Katherine had a good time, she deserves it. Fred was a chum to persuade her to dance, she wasn't so nervous then."

"Is Katherine not with you now?" peering through the window to see if Miss Brooke was waiting outside.

Anne shook her auburn head: "No, she's sleeping a perfectly good morning away. Whilst I think of it, can I please have two small bottles of lemonade, two pieces of ham pie and a couple of boxes of plums?"

Alice hurried to get them and returned to the counter: "Two of everything Anne?" she asked with a twinkle in her eyes.

Anne took a deep breath to steady her voice, nerves and suddenly fluttering heart: "Gilbert came over to Green Gables last night; he is a great deal better but it was his first long walk and he was too tired to make the bonfire. He asked me to give his apologises and I suggested a breakfast ramble to make up for the disappointment."

There, she had said his name aloud without shaking and her explanation wasn't **exactly** a fib; she had, after all, suggested the walk.

Alice held in a romantic sigh. She should have guessed Green Gables would be Gilbert's first thought as soon as his legs would carry him. Everyone this side of Bright River knew that Gilbert Blythe and Anne Shirley were sweet on each other, except, it seemed, Anne Shirley.

"Well, in that case you take these with my best wishes to Gilbert for a speedy recovery, and I'll add two slices of sponge cake for good measure." She said going to fetch them.

Anne beamed but then looked doubtful: "Alice, that's **very** generous of you, but you sure?"

Alice pretended to frown, but her eyes were smiling: "Of course I'm sure Anne. It's a mean world if I can't be glad of Gilbert being well again after what he's been through..." Anne shuddered at the memory as Alice continued: "Now, will you please SHOO! Or do I have to run you out of here with a broom?"

They both laughed and Anne turned to leave: "Thank you Alice, from Gil to, though I'm sure he'll be in to thank you himself. I'll see you soon!"

With that Anne left, the shop bell tinkling merrily behind her, and Alice went back to work, secure in the knowledge that she had 'done her good deed for the day'.

Anne knew as soon as she walked out of the store; Gilbert Blythe was nowhere to be seen but she could **feel** him watching her. She smiled and decided to play along with the game. Now, where would she hide if she were Gil? Not by the drinking fountain or the side of the church hall. Perhaps in the tea shop, but that would be no good; she would see him as plain as day then. Sighing dramatically, sure that he could hear her, she stood in the very centre of the crossroads (glad there was still no-one else around), closed her eyes and let her spirit reach out for him. As if by magic, an old childhood saying of hers popped into her head and she knew **exactly** where he would be. She all but ran down the southern fork of the road and just as she reached the crown of the bend, Gilbert dived out from behind the old Maple tree, grabbed her round the waist and pulled her to him. She squeaked in surprise and almost dropped her flower-basket, but grinned as she scolded him: "Gilbert John Blythe! Unhand me this instant!"

Gil laughed: "Not a chance Anne!" Then he grew serious: "I told you last night I'd never let you out of my arms again if I could help it. Now, will you **PLEASE** stop wriggling, put the basket down and let me kiss you?"

She did so.

Several minutes later Gil pulled back and kissed her on the end of her nose: "So then 'Carrots', how you know where I'd be?" he beamed.

They both knew he already knew the answer, but Anne replied anyway. "Oh, I knew a little girl once who used to say 'There's a always a bend in every road', and I know the Shore Road is your favourite, so I put two and two together, came to the bend in the Shore Road and here you were."

Gil sighed contentedly: "A fiancée who's clever **and** incredibly beautiful; how lucky can a man be?"

Anne blushed prettily: "Gil, you praise me too much. You are just as clever as I (else why would we always have tied for first in all those exams?), and as for beautiful…"

He put a hand to her lips to stop her: "You misquote me Anne Shirley, I said 'incredibly beautiful'. You really must learn to take my complements; you'll be hearing them for the rest of our lives!"

"I shall try, my love, I promise I shall try; it's just this awful red hair!" she cried

"I thought you'd decided it was auburn?" he asked surprised.

"Oh I have, almost! It's just that whenever I try to look pretty, it still **feels** red, that's all!"

Gilbert bit back a chuckle, laughing now would be a disaster. "Well, to me you always look beautiful and I know you know how much I like that dress you're wearing. Now, where we going? Will you tell me who we are going to visit yet? Is it Diana?"

Anne giggled and shook her head: "No Gil, it's not Diana. Now can have breakfast before the lemonade goes flat?"

Some time later they were sitting on the sand dunes finishing the last of the plums when Gilbert spoke up: "That was great Anne. I feel ready for wherever we are going now!"

Anne laughed: "Don't thank me Sweetheart, thank Alice Lawson. When she heard we were going on a breakfast ramble, she wouldn't let me pay for a thing! Says it's her way of saying she glad you're well again. She even threw the cake in as extra!"

Gil smiled: "That was very nice of her. I will go and see her later. Everyone is being **so** kind to me now that I am up and about again."

Anne turned away, suddenly angry. "That's as may be Gilbert Blythe, and no-one could be more glad than I that you are well again. But why people should go **treating** you for scaring us all **half out of our souls** with fear is completely beyond me!" by now she had stood and was stalking away from him down the sand.

Gilbert was so stunned, it took a second before he got up and chased after her. "Anne! Wait! Stop! Please!"

He held her by the arm now and as she tried wriggle away he saw the tears flooding down her cheeks; each one pierced his heart like a knife. "Anne what is it? What's wrong?" he pleaded.

"What's wrong?! How can you ask me that, don't you know?" she stormed.

The infamous temper of Anne's childhood had returned in full hurricane force. Gilbert felt more helpless than the moment she had broken the slate over his head. "Talk to me Anne Shirley, **please**! Tell me what I've done or said; then I can apologise!"

Anne stood tall and wiped her cheeks angrily with the back of her hand:

"Alright then **Mister** Blythe, answer me this! **IF** you love me as much as you say you do, why, why did no-one send for me? Even if only as your best friend. I would have come in an instant, dropped everything! You **must** know that! Why Gil, why?!"

Gilbert felt as though he had just been punched, hard, in the stomach:

" **IF** I love you, **if!** My God, Anne! I love you more than **anything** in this world! My heart and soul belong to you; they have since that dumb three-legged race! You gave me the will to live, you **must** know that!" he cried.

Anne was too furious to let it go just yet: "Must I Gilbert? Must I?! Then why did you not want me? Why keep me away? Do you know how I found out? Well, do you?!"

Gilbert shook his head, ignoring his own tears.

"Minne-May Barry blurted in out when we were at tea! She said you **dying**! I found out I was loosing my best friend, the man I realised in that moment I love more than life itself, from a four year old girl!" Here she crumpled and sank down onto the sand sobbing.

In an instant Gilbert was kneeling by her side, pulling her into his arms: "Oh Anne, I'm **so, so** sorry my love! I was such a fool! I should have known, you are right. How could I have thought so little of my best friend? It's no excuse, but I was jealous as hell because I thought you were still with Morgan Harris, and I guessed from the bits and pieces I heard that Kingsport wasn't going well. I didn't want to burden you."

Anne composed herself just enough to speak: "Burden me? You could never do that. Make me so mad I can hardly see straight perhaps, but you could never burden me!"

She felt him smile against her hair: "I deserved that." he said.

"Yes you did!" she snuffled. "I was so scared Gil!" the tears flowed again.

Gilbert held her and rocked her as though she were small child: "I know you were Anne-girl, I know; so was I. But it over now, I am getting better and we are together at last."

Anne shifted and sat up without support. She turned to her fiancé. She was no longer crying but her face was serious:

"Gilbert? There's something I need to tell you. It won't be easy for you to hear, but I'd rather we dealt with it now than have it come out now than years down the line in some awful, spiteful fight when I can't control my temper. Will you hear me out?"

Gilbert was nervous now: "Yes Anne, whatever it is, I'll listen, I swear."

"Thank you Gilbert." She took his hands and looked him in the eyes. "When I heard Minnie-May say those words, I felt my soul, my spirit, freeze. I was never so frightened, ever, even when Matthew died in my arms. I told you once that everything I ever loved left me. That was how I felt, like it was happening all over again, only worse because you didn't know. For a while that night (I stayed up by the window, I could never have slept), I was pretty darned mad at you for thinking about deserting me." She smiled forgiveness. "Then dawn came, Marilla brought me my book, I showed her the dedication, she made me talk. I was so unhappy; afraid that I had come to my senses too late and you would never know I loved you. Then we saw Gerry. The rest you know." She took a deep breath; it was done.

"Oh Anne!" Gilbert sighed. "I'm sorry I frightened you. I would never do that on purpose, never! But don't you see? We were never truly apart, you and I; never from the second we met. You were always with me, in my head, and in my heart; the times when I would see you, you'd stick your nose in the air or snub me, I would collect every last one in my memory. Not because they hurt (although they sometimes did), but because they were a way to keep you near me. And then, when we became friends, that was great because then I got to collect your smile and laugh too. Then last night you made almost my every dream come true."

"Almost?" Anne whispered, not quite sure she wanted to hear the answer.

Gil saw the look in her eyes and kissed her on the cheek: "Yes my love, I have one more dream; the dream I dreamt last night. It's a dream that will have to wait for now, but it will be all the more sweet when it finally comes true."

"What is it Gil? Tell me please." She asked eagerly.

"Well, in the dream, I have just made you laugh, we are dancing to the music from the White Sands Ball, you are all in white with your beautiful hair piled high, the way it takes my breath away. Everyone we love is watching us."

"Our wedding reception!" Anne cried joyously.

Gilbert laughed: "Partly yes, but will you quiet down and let me finish? You're spoiling the mood here!"

"Sorry Gil." Anne giggled.

"Alright, apology accepted. Now where was I?"

"We're dancing at our wedding reception." Anne supplied helpfully.

"Ah yes, I remember now. We dance to that music for the first time that day with everyone watching and then again later when we are by ourselves. The second time I spin you around too fast and a strand of hair falls out of place. You go to put it back but I stop you, take the pins from the rest of your hair until it falls round your shoulders and kiss every single beautiful, soft, silky, **red** stand of it. You wanted my dream, there, that's all of it. Anne?"

For the last couple of sentences, Gilbert had turn darkest crimson with embarrassment and been staring intently at the sand falling through his fingers. When he got no reply, he looked up, fearing she would be disgusted, embarrassed or angry, but he need not have worried. Anne was sitting there, hands clasped in front of her, eyes closed, face raised slightly to the sun. Gilbert knew that pose of old. She couldn't have paid him a bigger compliment; she was imagining his dream. Before she could open her eyes, he leant over and kissed her quickly on the lips. "A dream so easy to make come true, yet so difficult to wait for."

Anne shuddered at the feeling of his breath on her skin, but sat back and tried to compose herself:

"Then we must work to bring the dream a little nearer each day, Gil." She said in as near as she could manage to her best 'let's get things done' voice.

"Alright my lady, but where do we start?" he said enthusiastically.

"Well, no even knows we're engaged yet!" she laughed.

"Then I'll head right back to Green Gables this minute and ask Marilla!" he had already jumped to his feet.

Anne burst out laughing: "Slow down Gil, slow down! First we clear away the breakfast things, then we scour the Island until my basket is full of the prettiest flowers this side of Ontario, **then** we ask permission! Right?"

"Oh yes, right, flowers, good idea." he said flustered.

So it was that Gilbert and Anne spent most of the rest of the morning wondering this way and that in the meadows of Prince Edward Island picking the prettiest wild flowers they could find. Several times they stopped for Gilbert to rest, and none of the friends who greeted them as they strolled along arm in arm saw anything unusual, for the two best friends often walked that way together. As they strolled they chatted about everything and nothing. Gil told Anne his side of many a shared memory and vice versa. His version of the story of the Carmody Christmas Ball earned Gilbert a playful punch in the arm.

"So Diana was right after all, it **was** you who took my dance-card! You little thief!" Anne cried.

Gilbert shrugged and tried to look contrite: "You wouldn't dance with me and I wanted a memory."

"Oh, so it was **my** fault, was it? That's rich!" Anne laughed.

"Maybe so, but I wanted to remember you; what else can I say?"

Anne's smile faded: "Well, nothing about that I suppose, but you can promise me something."

"Of course, what?" Gilbert asked lying some wild poppies carefully in the flower basket.

"Promise me you know how I feel about you. You do know I love you, don't you?"

Gilbert stopped and turned Anne's shoulders until she was facing him: Yes Anne, I promise you I know you love me." She smiled with relief and he kissed her first on the cheek and the on the top of her head sending a shiver through her. "Now, no more doubts, alright?" Gilbert drew Anne's arm back through his, signalling an end to such a serious topic. " You still haven't told me about the bonfire. Did I miss any fun?"

"Not much, although I did have a good time with Katherine. Her smile is quite pretty now she lets herself wear it. To be honest, I spent most of the evening fit to burst with excitement!" Here, she put her arm around Gilbert's waist and he put his arm across her shoulders: "I do think Diana was a little put out with me though."

Gilbert was puzzled. Anne and Diana were almost inseparable whenever both were in Avonlea, and rarely, if ever, had a cross word. "What on earth would make you say that Anne?" he asked.

"Well, I had to avoid her most of the night because she would have known what had happened just from the look on my face! 'Bosom Friends' are like that you see."

"Ahh, I see!" he laughed, understanding. "Well, when we do tell everyone, I'll talk to her if you want; but somehow, I'm pretty sure she'll forgive you!"

"Yes, I think so to!" Anne smiled. "What do you think, should we take some of these?" she gestured to some yellow daisy-like flowers in a nearby hedge-row.

Gilbert nodded: "Yes, they'll look nice on Marilla's kitchen table. Anything else happen?"

"Well, let's see; Josie Pye was her usual horrid but sugar coated self. I swear she spent the better part of twenty minutes talking about how being a teacher was 'such a **worthy** occupation for a **single** woman'! Honestly Gil, it's a good thing Fred had taken Katherine out for a dance, or I don't know **WHAT** I would have done. I was tempted to tell Josie everything, just to wipe that silly, smug little smile off her face!" Anne seethed.

Gilbert squeezed his fiancé's shoulder comfortingly: "I'm glad you didn't Anne-girl. Good news is wasted on Josie Pye and her old cronies! A gang of spiteful old cats the lot of them; you're worth a million of them!"

"You're biased!" she teased.

"Yes I am, and proud to admit it! But I'm also right."

Anne hugged him and then sighed: "This basket is almost full now; we should go now if I'm going to make it back home for lunch."

With that, Anne turned and headed up the hill in the **opposite** direction to Green Gables. "Anne?" Gilbert was confused.

"No Gil, I haven't lost my mind." Anne smiled "It's time for our visit." She said striding back up the road into Avonlea.

Gilbert broke into a trot to keep up with her. "Alright Anne Shirley, **now** will you **please** tell who we are going to see?" he pleaded.

Anne beamed at him: "I'm surprised you didn't guess Gil. We will ask Marilla, but there's someone else who's blessing I want as well."

By now, they were outside the High Field and the penny had finally dropped in Gilbert's mind: "Matthew!"

"Yes. I know it might seem odd but I wouldn't feel right otherwise. Matthew meant everything to me. Can you hold the gate open please?"

Gil returned her smile doing as she had asked: "I think it's a lovely thing to do Anne-girl; not 'odd' at all. Typical of you to think of something so noble and romantic!"

He was rewarded for the complement with a peck on the cheek.

As the young couple approached Matthew Cuthbert's simple marble head-stone, Gilbert took Anne's hand and squeezed it reassuringly. Though he knew Anne came here once a week when at home and of course Marilla kept the plot in aptcondition, he also knew that these visits were hard on the girl he loved. She tried to smile up at him but her eyes were already misty. Not wishing to intrude on a private moment, when the reached the headstone Gil slipped the basket from Anne's arm and took a couple of steps back, ostensibly to give himself enough room to take some of the flowers out of the basket. Anne crouched down and ran her hand lovingly across the name engraved on the stone. She began to talk softly, her voice wavering a little:

"Hello Matthew, I know I came the day before yesterday, but Gil and I went on a breakfast ramble and I thought you might like some of the flowers we picked. If I bring this many home to Marilla she'll only say I'm 'cluttering up the inside with outside things'. I have some **wonderful** news dearest Matthew, I am finally **perfectly** happy; Gil and I are to be married!" Here she smiled back at Gil, who handed her some of the blooms, before returning her thoughts to Matthew: "Gil's here with me now helping me with the flowers,,,,"

Here Gilbert came closer and lay his hand on top of the headstone as if in proof. He stayed silent however, now was Anne's opportunity to break the news, his turn would come with Marilla. Something in that thought made Gilbert's stomach tighten. Everybody knew that years of having Anne Shirley living at Gables had softened Marilla Cuthbert a great deal, but Gil still had the feeling he would face a tough grilling. Anne was still speaking softly;

"…but you knew that didn't you, Mathew? I just wanted you to be the first person to hear me say the words I suppose. Well, we'd better go; Marilla will have lunch ready and I haven't seen her yet today. Goodbye dear, sweet Matthew."

She stood up and turned back to Gilbert. He wiped the tears from her cheeks with his thumbs, then kissed her on the tip of the nose; "Ready Darling?" he asked.

"Ready." She agreed. With that they left the field.

On the way through Avonlea (the long way back), Anne had an idea. She went back into Lawson's, and whilst Gilbert thanked Alice for the picnic, Anne bought three pieces of the prettiest ribbon she could find. When Gilbert looked at her quizzically she simply smiled. They left Lawson's and Gilbert could hold in the question no longer: "What's the ribbon for?"

"To tie up Marilla's bouquet & make posies for Rachel and Katherine. Here, help me." Anne walked over to the bench outside the post office. Gilbert joined her. She studied his face but aware they were still in public, she resisted the urge to stroke his cheek. "Gil, you're tired; I've kept you out far too long. I'm sorry."

Gilbert smiled: "Anne, I'm fine; really. But if it makes you feel better, I promise, I'll sleep this afternoon, alright?"

"Alright, as long as you promise." Anne smiled. "These are ready now. Let's go."

They made their way up to Green Gables the back way, but Gilbert stopped her just before they came into view of the house. "What is it Gil?" Anne asked surprised.

Gil grinned: "Well, I don't mean to be unkind, but we both know Rachel Lynde has the eyes of an eagle-owl and I wanted to kiss you once more; just to give me courage!"

"Oh, I think that could be arranged!" Anne giggled lifting her face towards him.

As they broke the kiss, Anne spoke up: "You know Gil, much as I love Rachel; I want us to tell Marilla alone. It's only right. Would you mind waiting here a few minutes while I find Katherine and ask her to distract Rachel?"

He shook his head: "No, of course not; but here, you'd better let me have the flowers or you'll 'give the game away'."

"Clever as well as incredibly handsome." She said, turning his own earlier compliment back on him. She handed him the basket and kissed him on the end of the nose. "I'll be back as quickly as I can." She smiled, heading off.

"I'll be here." He assured her.

Anne's good luck was holding for once. As she turned the final corner, she saw Katherine standing alone by the front gate watching what there was of the world go by and enjoying the view. Her face broke into a smile: "Hello Katherine, you're just the person I wanted to see!"

Katherine looked somewhat surprised at this; she was still not at all used to people in general (and Anne Shirley in particular), treating her so kindly. "Hello Anne. Did you enjoy your ramble?"

"Yes thank you, very much. How about you, did find something to do this morning?"

Katherine smiled: "Yes, well I slept late and then I did something I haven't done in years; I sketched. I tried to draw the June Lilies, but I'm afraid I'm very much out of practice!"

"Well, while you're here feel to practice as much as you like." Anne encouraged. "Do you know where Marilla and Rachel are?"

Katherine nodded: "Miss Cuthbert is in the kitchen seeing to lunch and I think Mrs Lynde is in the parlour sewing,"

Anne grinned: "Good. Katherine, would you mind doing me a big favour?"

Now Katherine looked even more surprised: "I can try." She said a little doubtfully.

"Great!" Anne beamed. Well, it's just that we, I mean I, I need a private word with Marilla and I was hoping you'd agree to sit with Mrs Lynda awhile, just so as she doesn't feel slighted." Here Anne dropped her voice to a whisper: "Just between you and me, Rachel can be a bit of a trial when she feels slighted!"

Katherine looked a little alarmed: "I'd like to help Anne, really I would, but what should I talk about? I hardly know Mrs Lynde!"

"Katherine you'll be fine! Tell her about the bonfire (she'll be dying for gossip) and show her your picture of the June Lilies, she'll like that."

"I don't know…"

"Please Katherine! It should only take a few minutes. I promise!"

Katherine knew all too well she was being railroaded, but it must have the magic of Avonlea, for she gave in: "Alright Anne. I'll go and get my sketch."

"Thank you Katherine, thank you!" Anne cried happily. Then, much to Katherine's utter astonishment, Anne turned on her heel and fairly raced back up the hill at a most unladylike speed!

Gilbert sat on the stile and waited impatiently for Anne to return. He was very tired, but he would never admit that to Anne. She would only fret about him and she had already done more than enough of that. As he sat there waiting, he thought back to the previous evening. He had set off home as fast as he could. He felt like he was walking on air. The feel of Anne's kiss was still warm on his lips and his heart was pounding. Spending any length of time around his family would be nearly impossible with this secret to keep, so he tried to act calmly as he had strolled up to the house. Greeting his father who sat reading on the front porch, he had slipped quietly into the kitchen and asked his mother if she would mind heating him some milk so that he could take it up to bed. Mrs. Blythe had become concerned at this, and begun to fuss, worrying that the colour on his cheeks was high and his eyes were far too bright. But he eventually calmed her, reassuring her that as he had just come back from his first long walk he was bound to be tired and the milk he had asked for and a good night's sleep would surely see him right.

With that he had escaped up to his room and into his daydreams and plans. The daydreams were like old friends to him. He had dreamed them countless times, they were the ribbon that kept the parcel of his memories together. Not single a day had gone by in the years since they met that Anne hadn't appeared at least in his mind's eye. (He would **never** tell **anyone** this, but in one of the few lucid moments of his fever, he had heard his parents whispering anxiously outside in the hall:

"John, we **must**! He speaks hardly anything but her name. When the fever is highest he **weeps** for her! You have seen the tears yourself! Please, we **must**!"

"No Martha we **can't**! The last time he was lucid he **begged** me not to! Said seeing her when she belonged to another man would kill him, and right now that is exactly what it **would** do! I'm no doctor, I'll leave that for Gil please God, but we **can't** betray our son's wishes!"

Gil knew his mother must have cried then but he remembered no more).

So many times over the years, the daydreams had seemed so real that he would reach out to touch them only to find himself blinking back tears as the beautiful picture melted away on the breeze. Last night had been different. Last night the dreams had not melted away. Last night he **had** touched her cheek again, but last night he had also **FINALLY** tasted the sweet promise of the future in her kiss! Now, **at last** he could allow himself to turn his dreams into **plans**. A lot of those plans he was looking forward to working out side by side with Anne, but the one he had in mind just now as he sat waiting on the stile was his alone, and it was going to be a particularly tricky one.

Just as was about to start work on it however, Anne re-emerged around the corner and instantly captured his whole attention as always.

"Gil! Come on, it's all arranged. Katherine is keeping Rachel occupied as we speak. But we should hurry; if I know Rachel Lynde (and Lord knows I should!) she won't be kept back for long once she gets the whiff of something in the air!"

Gilbert jumped down off the stile, picked up the basket and met Anne half way to the path, laughing all the while: "Alright 'Carrots', I'm coming. If this is what the future has in store for me, I can see I'm going to be well and truly 'hen-pecked!"

By now, he had reached Anne's side and she put an arm around his waist: "Ohh, you rat!" she teased. Then it was her turn to become serious: "Have you decided how you're going to ask Marilla yet?"

"Yep." Gil grinned. He kept the fact that he had decided nigh on two years ago to himself, for now.

"Do you want me to come in with you, or should I wait for you to call?" Anne asked.

"No, come in. I'd hate to deprive you of the look on Marilla's face."

"Alright, so, are you ready to do this?" Anne was nervous.

Gilbert on the other hand, hid his nerves as best he could: "Yes I am. I love you Anne."

"And I love you Gilbert."

Marilla was standing by the stove making plum puffs when she heard the knock on the back door. This was such a rare event that she started in surprise. She was even more surprised when she turned round to see Anne standing there. Why on earth would the 'blessed child' knock on her own back door?! Then she saw young Gilbert Blythe standing beside Anne, looking for all the world as if he were about to face a firing squad, and she knew **exactly** why. Marilla's heart did an enormous somersault but she tried to stay calm as she shook the flour from her hands and took off her apron:

"Well now there you are Anne Shirley! Come in, come in. I was starting to wonder if we'd see you this side of sunset!"

Anne smiled broadly: "I'm sorry Marilla; our ramble took longer than we expected, but we picked you some flowers and Gilbert wanted to pay his respects to Matthew."

Here Gilbert stepped into the kitchen: "Miss Cuthbert."

Marilla nodded politely "Gilbert; I'm glad to see you looking so well. Take a seat. Some cordial?" she asked.

Gilbert sat down but shook his head: "No, thank you Miss Cuthbert, I'll be fine."

Anne hovered nervously by the door. Marilla didn't think she Anne this fidgety since the time Anne had given Rachael as good as she got when Rachael had been unkind about Anne's appearance and that must have at **least** six years ago, if not more! Still, Marilla bit back a smile as Gilbert began:

"Miss Cuthbert, you've known for a long time now that I love Anne."

"Indeed I have Mr. Blythe. I've had the notion awhile now and I daresay Matthew had it before me." Here she heard Anne gasp. "But then he was always better with things of the heart than I, despite his shyness. Incidentally, I knew for certain when you gave Anne Avonlea and took the Carmody school yourself; though Anne wasn't the only one grateful for that."

"Thank you Miss Cuthbert. That means a lot to me."

Marilla granted him the favour of a small smile. She would not give Anne away easily, and no-one, least of all Gilbert, could blame her for that.

"Well, you see Mamm,… Last night I asked Anne to marry me. It'll be five years of medical school for me before any wedding and nothing fancy even then, but I love Anne with all my heart and well, we're here to ask your blessing."

Here Marilla turned to Anne: "Anne, is this what you want?"

The older woman was expecting some long 'flowery' speech at this, and so was quite surprised when Anne simply went and stood beside Gilbert's chair taking his hand: "Yes it is Marilla. So much. I just can't imagine my life without Gil."

At this Marilla almost laughed. **FINALLY!** Something that even Anne Shirley couldn't imagine! This **was** serious! However, she bit the inside of her lip and returned her gaze to Gilbert: "Well then Gilbert Blythe, you may have my blessing and my daughter's hand in marriage." She beamed.

The next few seconds were a blur of hugs, kisses and flowers, but then, quite suddenly, Anne burst into tears.

Gilbert looked alarmed: "Anne?"

Marilla however, as in days past, hid her concern (and unshed tears) under a protective blanket of prickles:

"Whatever is it, child? You've just announced you are engaged, this is what you've wanted all long and yet, now you've got it, you stand here weeping like a willow? You **do** beat all Anne Shirley!"

"Oh Marilla!"

In that moment Marilla was transported back in time by the look on Anne's face. Back to the first time they had ever stood in this kitchen; Anne a twelve year old, all poetry and pig-tails and Marilla herself all starched surprise and pompous fury at having been sent a girl by mistake. They had all come a **long** way since then and no mistake!

"Marilla, don't you realise? Didn't you hear yourself?" Anne breathed: "That's the first time you've ever called me your daughter!"

Now Marilla to shed tears as she pulled Anne into a tight embrace, but aware that Gilbert was gallantly pretending not notice, she stood back quickly and carried on:

"Well, I suppose we'd better tell Rachel before she explodes with curiosity."

With this Marilla bustled into the hallway. Gilbert stood up and hugged Anne as the older woman's words made them laugh:

"Rachel! Rachel! You've always been one for Providence, so you best come and meet it, for it's standing right here in my kitchen!"

Mrs Lynde's reaction as she and Katherine were given their posies and told the happy news?

"I said so all along, that's what!"


	3. Mr Blythe's Spirit

(Standard Disclaimers Apply)

 **Mr. Blythe's Spirit (By AngelRose)**

(Sequel to 'Anne's Magical Mystery Tour')

Diana Wright (nee Barry), looked out her front window down the road towards the Blythe Farm, and let out such a long, loud squeal at what she saw that her husband Fred came thundering down the stairs to investigate: "Diana! Whatever's the matter? Are you alright?"

Diana was jumping up down and clapping her hands just like her little sister Minnie-May did when she was excited: "Oh Fred, I'm much better than alright, I'm overjoyed! Take a look out the window and tell me what you see."

Totally bemused, but knowing he would get no sense out of his wife, Fred moved the lace curtain aside slightly and did so: "I see Gilbert Blythe opening our front gate for Anne Shirley. What's so special about…Ahh. Well, it's **about BLESSED time!** " (Gilbert being rewarded for his gallantry with a kiss had told Fred all he needed to know).

"I'll say!" cried Diana, pushing past him to get to the front door.

Diana was on the porch in the blink of an eye, but she pretended not to have seen anything. Instead she made out to be very cross:

"Anne Shirley! I'm surprised to see you I must say. There had just better be a **very** good explanation for your **Scandalous** treatment of me last night! Leaving me to the mercies of that awful Tilly Boulter, when you know quite well she is a perfect pill!"

Anne laughed and hurried to greet her best friend:

"I am sorry Diana, truly I am. But I had no choice. I couldn't sit with you last night or you would have known. I couldn't tell anyone, not even you, before I told Marilla!"

Diana bit the inside of her lip to keep from laughing: "Known **what** Anne, **what** is going on?"

By now Gilbert had made his way up the path and put a hand on Anne's shoulder: "Hi Diana. Go on then 'Carrots', I think you'd better tell her before she explodes!"

Anne laughed and turned to her best and longest standing friend: "Well…, Gil proposed yesterday and I accepted!"

Before she could say another word Anne found herself swept into Diana's arms: "Oh Anne! That's **wonderful** news! Fred! Fred, did you hear?"

Fred appeared behind his wife smiling broadly. He put out his hand out to Gilbert: "I heard alright. Well done Gilbert, marvellous news! Tell me, however did you get our stubborn 'Miss Shirley' here to **finally** see sense?" he teased, embracing Anne as Diana hugged Gilbert.

"Well, I wouldn't exactly **recommend** almost dying of Scarlet Fever, but it did seem to do the trick!" he smiled.

Anne looked sad: "Please Gil, don't!"

"I'm sorry Darling." He replied, kissing her on the top of the head; he had already learnt that doing that would get him out of almost anything. He was right; Anne smiled up at him. Diana to saw Anne's face change and wrongly thinking it was over-excitement and tiredness, started to bustle her up the steps:

"Now Anne, you must come inside and tell me **everything**! Won't you join us, Gil?"

Gil couldn't help but smile at the look on Diana's face: "Thanks Diana, but some other time. I hate to admit it, but by the time I get back to the Farm I'll have done more than enough for one day!"

"Of course." Diana smiled sympathetically, released Anne's arm and diplomatically headed to the kitchen to put on the kettle.

Fred took his wife's not so subtle hint too: "Give me a minute Gil, and you can have a lift in the buggy. I have a parcel to post anyway. And the girls will want to gossip in peace!"

"I won't say no Fred." Gilbert replied gratefully. With that Fred to left the couple their farewells.

"Now, remember you promised to sleep. You look worn out!" Anne was concerned as she stroked Gilbert's cheek.

He took her hand down from his face and kissed it: "Don't worry Anne-girl, I'll keep my promise. How else would I get to dream of you?"

Anne giggled and blushed prettily: "True. Now, here's Fred and Diana will be **bursting** for some details. I'll see you tomorrow."

Then with a whispered "I love you" each, they parted.

"So tell me Anne, when did it happen?" Diana asked excitedly.

Anne shook her head: "Not a word until I have a cuddle from my Godson!" she was leaning over baby Fred's bassinet cooing at him.

Diana sighed dramatically and settled the child in Anne's lap: "There, you have your cuddle; now **tell** me!" she cried.

"He asked me yesterday afternoon before the bonfire, on the bridge. He asked, I said yes. Oh Diana! I'm so happy!"

Diana cheerful laugh filled the room, causing her three month old infant to gurgle with delight: "That much I can see for myself and, so, it seems can my son!"

Anne smiled wistfully and then sighed: "It will be five years; little Fred will old enough to be a page boy then."

Diana put a comforting hand on Anne's arm: "It's bound to seem like forever sometimes Anne; especially when Gil's away at medical school, I know that. But the thing to do is enjoy the times you have together and keep busy."

"But how Diana?" Anne asked despairingly.

Diana looked shocked: "What do you mean how? You can teach, you can write, you could be a companion (from what I hear you were all but that to old Mrs. Harris anyway). You can help run Green Gables and closer to the time they'll be wedding plans to make. There are plenty of things for you to do!"

"Well…, the publisher's **were** talking about a sequel." Anne said cautiously.

Diana brightened: "There you are; that's six months done before you can say 'The Lady of Shallot'! You must have plenty of stories from your time in Kingsport to start with!"

"One or two!" Anne admitted, smiling at her memories: "And I could always write some stories for this little man."

(By now Baby Fred was staring at Anne's finger as though it were the most interesting thing in the whole world).

"So you could; now who else must you tell? All of Avonlea will know by breakfast tomorrow, but there's my Aunt Jo…"

"And Miss Stacey and Emeiline…" The rest of the evening was spent making an alarmingly long list of people Anne had to write to with the good news.

Two days later, having received more congratulatory visitors than she would have thought possible (including Joise Pye, who just about managed a feeble 'I'm very happy for you both' and almost choked on the lie), Anne was standing at the kitchen sink washing up whilst Katherine dried. Feeling a little guilty for neglecting Katherine since the proposal, Anne was careful to make conversation without sounding patronising: "Katherine, I meant to thank you for helping me with the chores; I haven't had time to turn around the last couple of days."

"So I noticed; not that I mind!" Katherine added quickly, realising she had sounded a little too like her old sharp self.

Anne smiled: "I know but I'm grateful anyway. You've taken a weight from my shoulders, thank you. Do you have everything you need in your room?"

"For my room yes…"

"But?" Anne asked, hearing the doubt coming.

"But I was wondering where I could get some new watercolours and such. My old paints have been lying around so long they won't mix properly and the hinge on the box is broken." Katherine sighed regretfully.

"Well, we could order them from Lawson's but that could take up to a week, why don't we take the buggy in to Bright River tomorrow? I'm sure the stationers there would have everything you could need. You haven't seen anywhere there other than the station and it's a very pretty town."

A by now familiar combination of emotions crossed Katherine Brooke's face, a brief glimpse of excitement followed by the clouds of doubt: "That does sound good Anne, but you'll be wanting to see Gilbert surely."

"I'm seeing him later and anyway, I'm sure as soon as Marilla and Rachel hear where we're going I'll have shopping lists as long as your arm!" Anne laughed. "So how about it? They have a big new tea shop, we can have lunch and make a day of it."

Katherine smiled: "Alright Anne. That would be nice."

"That's settled then. Now, Rachel's been telling all about your sketch; very impressed she is to. May I see it please?"

"Alright, but you must promise not to laugh."

"I promise." Anne agreed solemnly. With that, Katherine dried her hands and went to fetch her picture.

Over at his family farm, Gilbert stood leaning on the paddock fence and watching his horse, Lancelot, eating the sweet summer grass. If someone had told him just the week before that it was possible to be both blissfully happy and deeply troubled all at once he would never have believed them, but yet here he was learning the lesson for himself. Gilbert had a problem, and try as he might, he just could not see the best way to overcome it. At the end of the summer when he left his beloved Avonlea for medical school, he desperately wanted Anne to have an engagement ring as a physical reminder of him, but most of his money would have to go on board, books and such like. For himself, he was resigned (pretty much), to spending the next five years as poor as a church mouse, but something about not being able to afford a ring for Anne **really** bothered him. He supposed in a way it was a possessive thing (not that he was exactly proud of that), a way of showing the world that he had **FINALLY** won his long, difficult fight for Anne Shirley's exquisitely beautiful but utterly stubborn heart. It would also be not only a display of his deep abiding love for her, but also give Anne a measure of the continuing stability she still clung to almost desperately after such a rough start in life. In normal circumstances he'd have been able to earn the money somehow, but it was summer so school was out making teaching impossible and the doctors (and his mother), had strictly forbidden him to lift a finger around the farm. The two easy solutions that came to mind both stuck in his throat for different reasons. Asking his father to lend him the money would be easy, too easy. Whilst he doubted that his father would refuse him the loan, Gilbert felt that if he did that the ring wouldn't belong to him when he gave it to Anne. The other option, his grandmother's engagement ring, would solve that problem right enough, but he didn't want Anne to feel as though he was flaunting his family history at her when Anne herself had been an orphan. No, any way you cared to look at, it Gilbert Blythe was rightly stuck! Sighing heavily, he called Lancelot over, fed him a couple of sugar lumps he brought down in his pocket, and turned back to the house.

"Katherine; Rachel was right, this is lovely!" Anne exclaimed.

Katherine retrieved the sketch from Anne's lap before it fell to the floor: "Thank you Anne. I'm not so sure but Miss Cuthbert says it's just like the real thing."

"Praise indeed!" Anne was impressed. "Take it from me Katherine, if Marilla says she likes something then she means it. Marilla was never one for giving out praise as though it were candy."

"Well, in that case, I'm truly flattered." Katherine blushed. "I thought, once I have the right things, I might try and paint the view from my bedroom window."

Anne nodded eagerly: "Give it a go; I envy you your talent, I can barely draw a straight line. Ask Miss Stacey, she'll tell you, I was worse than useless at geometry, still am to tell the truth!"

(Miss Muriel Stacey, Anne's old teacher, mentor and friend now served on the board of Kingsport Ladies College and had recommended Anne to them as an English mistress. Katherine was Headmistress there. This was where they had met and spent most of the past year butting heads until Anne's triumphant fundraising school production of 'Mary, Queen of Scots. This roaring success had been swiftly followed by the blow-up to end all blow-ups culminating in the invite for Katherine to spend the summer at Green Gables, and the heart to heart which led to their new-found, if still slightly uncertain, friendship).

Katherine bit back the spiteful retort that still came as almost second nature to her tongue and tried to smile: "We all have our weaknesses Miss… Anne."

"Yes, and letting my tongue run away with me is very near the top of my list." Anne laughed looking at the watch she nearly always wore pinned to the front of her dress, "It's well past time for Dolly to be milked; she'll be uncomfortable and that blessed Jersey cow has her ways of 'letting you know' when she's uncomfortable!"

Anne was gratified to hear Katherine laugh quietly, almost cautiously (as though trying the new emotion out for size), as she scurried out of the door.

Gilbert sat down on the opposite side of the fire to his father who was listening to the gramophone. His mother sat between them doing some mending. After a few minutes of staring absentmindedly into the flames, Gilbert turned to his father: "Are you done with the paper?" he asked.

"Yes I am." answered John Blythe.

"Good, I need to use the advertisement section." Gil said.

His mother looked up surprised: "Gilbert, you're not worrying about school-books yet, surely?"

Gil smiled: "No mother, though it wouldn't hurt to look suppose. I have something else in mind."

Mrs. Blythe was very curious, but by now she knew the light in her only son's eyes. That was the light she had first seen in Gilbert's eyes the day he had met Anne Shirley. That light had never left him, even when he was squabbling with the headstrong girl. It was a light that was only for him, and even if she was a **little** jealous of Anne for being able to give her son that light when she could not, Martha Blythe loved that light because she had always known that someday it would make Gilbert happy. And then just four days ago, she had seen that light burn more brightly than ever before, and she had known. She had needed no words to break the news (although she would eventually get them), just like Martha Cuthbert, she had **known** the instant she saw the two young people together. Martha got up, fetched the newspaper from the kitchen table, handed it to Gil and kissed him on the cheek. With that Gilbert left the room and his mother watched him go; each somehow knowing what had just happened, even though it looked like nothing out of the ordinary had happened at all. John Blythe got up and put an arm around his wife: "Come on Martha, they have to find their own ways now."

Martha sighed and turned towards her husband's comforting embrace: "I know John, I know."

Upstairs Gilbert sat at his desk, spread the paper out and began looking down the various columns of adverts. Fifteen minutes later he leant back in his chair and sighed. Sure, he had seen adverts with a couple of second-hand medical books and he would investigate those (Doctor Wallis had told him that as long as he was careful and checked his purchases out thoroughly, notes in the margin could be invaluable), but unfortunately nobody local needed a tutor. The obvious answer was once again impossible; if he put an advert in himself for a student, he was bound to blow the surprise. He was just about to give up and go back downstairs when he saw something entirely different. It wasn't what he had in mind, but he might just get away with it, he could remain anonymous, and besides it looked like fun. Newly enthusiastic, Gilbert got himself a pen and paper and got to work.

Green Gables was quiet and peaceful as the sun set and after two hectic but fun days, Marilla was glad of it. She sat on the porch and pretended to concentrate on her mending, for fond as she was Rachel, she did not feel like talking just now. So many memories (some good, some bad), had coming flooding back over the past couple of days, that Marilla was glad to have a chance to sort through them all. The times that seemed to come to the surface where the many times that Anne had melted her heart despite herself. There were two stories in particular that always made her smile. The first (and most well known to the folks of Avonlea), was the hair-dying incident; the second was a more personal one.

It had been the second Christmas that Anne had spent at Green Gables. Marilla had known for weeks that Matthew and Anne had been up to some kind of mischief. They had been doing even more whispering together in corners than usual & even more telling, Anne had come straight home from school every night for a week, run up to her room in the gable and only come out for supper. On Christmas morning, Anne had come scurrying down the stairs at the very break of dawn and set the breakfast table (one of her chores). When Marilla finally appeared, it was to find the child sitting by the fire, reading, the gifts she had been pestering her elders about for days still untouched. As soon as she had seen Marilla, Anne jumped to her feet: "Good morning Marilla, Merry Christmas! Did you sleep well? I'll change later, my good dress is laid out on my bed. The range is on, all my chores are done and I've swept the floor and brought in the eggs besides. I…"

Marilla raised her hand to stop the verbal onslaught but smiled: "Good gracious, child, words are meant for using, not choking on! Merry Christmas to you as well. Where is Matthew?"

"C leaning out the stable; he shouldn't be long. Can I get you a hot drink?"

"No, thank you. Come and have some porridge." Marilla smiled to herself as she turned her back on Anne, who was now sitting at the table, and began to heat the milk: "Anne, your gifts are untouched, don't you want them?" she asked with a hint of laughter in her voice.

Anne however, was oblivious to this. "Oh yes Marilla, of course I do, and I'm sure they will be just wonderful…" she gasped, "It's just that Matthew and I wanted to give you your present first." She explained.

"I hope you two haven't been throwing away good money on me!" Marilla said as her elderly brother walked through the door.

"Good morning Marilla, Merry Christmas. Your gift is home-made, Anne thought you would like that better."

"Merry Christmas Matthew. That I would." Marilla smiled. "Come, eat."

Matthew smiled: "Marilla, relax a little, the porridge will need to cool anyway. Anne, you know where Marilla's present is, now would be a good time to fetch it."

Before he had even finished speaking, the child had asked permission to leave the table (which was granted with a nod of Marilla's head), and fled to the desk in the parlour. Matthew turned to his sister, both of them now sitting in their usual places at the table: "This was all Anne's idea and she has worked real hard on it."

Marilla nodded. She knew exactly what Matthew **wasn't** saying, and Matthew knew that she would try.

Less than a minute later Anne came back, her cheeks flushed, a small, flat, square parcel in her hands. She set it careful on the table in front of Marilla and then went to stand by Matthew's side, trying hard to keep her boundless excitement in check. Then she cleared her throat:

"Marilla, thank you for looking after me this year. I really hope you like your gift."

Marilla smiled slightly in thanks for the words, carefully unwrapped the parcel and for a moment was choked up as she looked at the nicest present she had ever been given. It was a sampler, on which was sewn a house that was clearly meant to be Green Gables, and the biblical verse:

"And over all these virtues put on love which binds them all together in perfect unity. - Colossians 3:14."

It took Miss Cuthbert a second to realise that Anne was speaking again:

"I hope you like it Marilla, I had lots of help though; Matthew made and glazed the frame, the Reverend's wife helped me pick the quote and Mrs. Barry taught me how to sew like that. I made sure to say thank you to everyone for their help." Anne assured her.

Marilla smiled broadly, her eyes shining: "I'm glad to hear that child, I must thank them to, but thank **you** , both. It is very nice, the quote is one of my favourites (as I'm sure the Reverend's wife must have told you Anne). I know just the place for this to."

Here Marilla stood up and went over to the dresser placing her gift right next to the Lord's Prayer that Anne had learnt on her first morning at Green Gables, where it sits from that day to this. Then Anne had run up to Marilla & thrown her arms around her guardian's waist. Marilla had stood frozen for a second, caught her brother's encouraging eye and then a little awkwardly stroked the child's hair once or twice before pulling gently away:

"Now Anne, eat your breakfast. I'll be a long day. Eat at a civilised speed and you may choose a gift to open before church."

That had one of Marilla's favourite Christmas Days. She was however, brought back to the present by the growing evening chill, and both she and Rachel retreated inside, Miss Cuthbert's thoughts full of gifts to come and in the distant future, wedding plans.

Meantime Anne and Katherine were in Katherine's room, making out their shopping list for the next day. As Anne had predicted, what with other people's messages as well as their own, the list had soon become 'as long as your arm'. So much so, in fact, that they had decided to plan their route around the town.

"Well, the haberdasher's is closest to the station (if it's dry we can leave the buggy there and walk), then the book store, then the stationers, then the tea shop. How does that sound?" Anne asked brightly.

Katherine smiled: "Fine, but is there a jewellers too? My watch is running slow and needs checking over."

Anne nodded: "Not a problem; that can go right between the stationers and the book store, alright; now is that everything?"

"I think so." Katherine mumbled through a stifled yawn. "Now, if you don't mind Anne, I think I'd like to get some sleep. I still can't seem to get used to all this relaxation and fresh air!"

Anne smiled: "Of course. We'll both need all our strength for tomorrow. Good night Katherine."

"Good night Anne."

The next morning, Marilla had breakfast ready and waiting for the intrepid shoppers when they came downstairs. Although she would never admit it, she was keen to hear all about their plans for the day. Mrs. Lynde, however, upon hearing their plans was not so impressed. Over the years though she had learnt better than to scold Anne directly and so addressed her remarks to Marilla:

"Well now, I don't know Marilla. Two young women driving a buggy into to a big town alone, who knows what could happen? It's not right, that's what!"

Here Marilla saw the look of panic that crossed Katherine's face and levelled a stare at Rachel that doubtless would have gone straight through a lesser mortal.

"Rachel, you know better than well that Anne and Diana have done the journey more than enough times for Anne to know just what she's doing; they'll be fine. Now hurry on, or we won't be ready when Rev. Thomas gets here!"

Having been politely but firmly put in her place, Mrs. Lynde just muttered something about 'New Fangled Amusements' and bit into her slice of toast with slightly more gusto than usual.

"Are you **sure** you won't need the buggy Marilla?" Anne asked, concerned now.

"No Anne, it's fine; the Reverend offered to bring us to the Quilting Drive last week, long before your outing was arranged. You two go and have fun, just don't forget my list!"

Anne would later remember Mrs Lynde looking somewhat puzzled during this speech, but at the time she was far too preoccupied with shopping plans to think anything of it.

"I won't, it's already in my purse. Ready Katherine?"

Katherine was ready, so with that they put on their outside things, Anne got the buggy out, and they made a start for Bright River.

Someone else with plans for that day was Gilbert. He too was out and about early, but he took the Charlottetown fork in the road. He had just one stop to make but to him it was a **very** important one. He was headed right for the offices of the Charlottetown Bugle to answer in person the advertisement that had caught his eye. What with all the upheaval surrounding his and Anne's engagement, he had not been able to get away unnoticed any sooner, and so was fervently hoping he would not be too late. He was however, unhindered by a buggy (since he had chosen to ride his bicycle), and he therefore made reasonably good time. He reached the edge of Charlottetown at about half past eight, and after a short stop to regain his strength and have a cup of coffee, he made it to the Bugle just as the offices opened for the day.

Just as Marilla had said he would the Rev. Thomas arrived at Green Gables about twenty minutes after Anne and Katherine had left. Having declined Marilla's offer of tea or coffee, he helped both ladies into his buggy (Marilla sitting beside him and Rachel in back), and set off for Avonlea. Marilla chatted as they drove along:

"Thank you for this Reverend. I really appreciate it. We will be back to the Quilting Drive as soon as we are done with our business."

The Reverend smiled: "Not at all Miss Cuthbert, it's my pleasure; you take your time ordering. There aren't many folks round here who wouldn't do a good turn for your Anne and the whole town is abuzz with the good news."

From behind him the Reverend heard a small snort as Rachel added her inevitable tuppence worth: "It sure took Gilbert Blythe long enough to get around to proposing; I thought we were all going to have to wait until forever!"

The Reverend chuckled: "The Lord moves in mysterious ways Mrs. Lynde; though I must admit, even I was beginning to wonder just **how** mysterious he was going to be this time! Here we are ladies, 'Lawson's General Store."

The Reverend helped Rachel and Marilla from the buggy, but then remembered something and called Marilla back just as she was about to enter the store.

"Miss Cuthbert?!"

"Yes Reverend?"

"I just remembered, my wife **insists** that you have the delivery notice sent to the Manse so as not to spoil the surprise; she'll bring your parcel to Green Gables when it arrives."

"Thank you Reverend, this is very kind of you both. We shouldn't be too long."

And then, with a cheery wave from the Reverend, Marilla headed inside.

Gilbert shuffled nervously from foot to foot outside the Editor's office. It had taken twenty-five minutes of very fast talking to get even this far, and now his stomach was **really** churning. What in heck were you supposed to say in an interview like this anyway? He **knew** he should have gone with his first instinct and written to Miss Stacey about this, she would have known what he should say for sure, but he had just been too impatient to get started and now it was too late. For the umpteenth time in the past couple of days, he carefully took the pieces of paper from his pocket and looked at them. He shook his head, this had seemed like **such** a good idea the other night, but right now, if he hadn't needed the money so badly…

"Mr Blythe? Mr. Harrison will see you now."

Having reached 'The Point Of No Return', Gilbert gulped, straightened his tie and let himself into 'The Lion's Den'.

Having completed their earlier stops reasonably quickly Anne and Katherine were feeling quite pleased with themselves by the time they reached the stationers. Growing in confidence now, Katherine was happy to ask a lady assistant about the watercolour sets, whilst Anne went off to find the notepaper Rachel had added to her list. She soon found it and was heading back to how Katherine was getting on, when something stopped her dead in her tracks. There, in the shop window, was what she knew to be a Smithson Mark II typewriter. She couldn't believe she had missed it at first glance! Anne hurried outside to get a better look. It was beautiful! The buttons were clearly marked, the carriage return was made of what looked like brass and note beside it in the window said it even came with its own carry case. Owning one of those would make writing **so** much easier! The hitch however, was the cost, the princely sum of $25. Sure, she had the advance from her book, but most of that was already ear-marked for jobs around Green Gables, and she would need the rest to see her through until (hopefully), some royalty cheques came through. Anne sighed wistfully; maybe next year, for now a strong paddock fence was more important. She was still standing there staring several minutes later, when suddenly a man came and lifted the typewriter out of the window and away. Disappointed, Anne went inside to ask about it for future reference, only to find that it was the last one and it had just been ordered. Sighing, once more, she shook herself out of her nice daydream and went to see how Katherine was getting on.

"It's just like we said in advertisement Mr. Blythe, $3 a week for the adult crossword and $2 for the children's one. The deadline is 4pm Tuesday, in time for Thursday's edition. Deadline's are sacred, miss one and you're out. Been through three men in the last five months with that, and I'll give you fair warning, I'm sick of it. If it were up to me, we wouldn't have the darn things, but the owner's wife is rather partial to them…Anyway, how does all that sound to you Mr. Blythe?"

The older man stopped pacing up and down behind his desk and stared at Gilbert, almost as though daring him to object to something. Gilbert flinched a little but quickly managed to school his features and sound reasonably normal:

"That all sounds fine Sir, but…"

The Editor cut him off sharply in mid-sentence: "Good, the job is yours. You start next week. You get paid by cheque once a month. I know, I know, you don't want to use your own name; no-one ever does. Afraid you'll be driven mad for the answers I suppose. What should we call you?"

Gilbert grinned, he already had that worked out: "Thank you Mr Harrison, very much. I won't let you down I swear."

The Editor snorted derisively, he'd heard that one before:

"You better not, Mr…?"

Gilbert had to fight not to laugh as he answered: "Mr. Slate, I think you ought to call me Mr. Slate."

With that, the two men shook on the deal, Gilbert signed the papers, left, and spent most of the ride home trying not to fall off his bike from the giggles!


	4. Entering The Brave New World

**Entering The Brave New World** (Standard Disclaimers Apply)

The tea shop at Bright River was yet another new experience and as they ordered Anne found herself once again saddened by how little cheer Katherine had known in her life so far. Whilst they waited for their tea and sandwiches, Katherine was keenly looking around her, taking the whole place in. Anne didn't need telling that Miss Brooke had never been to a tea shop before. It put her in mind of her own first visit and she decided to share the story.

"You know Katherine, I've always liked it here, ever since the first time I visited. It was the summer after Minnie Mae Barry had that dose of croup, the Barry's brought Diana and I here as an end of term treat. We had a high old time that day (though I don't know whether Mrs Wright has eaten gooseberry pie since after the heartburn it gave her)!"

Katherine smiled: "You love the Barry's dearly, don't you Anne?"

Anne beamed and nodded: "Yes, I do. They've been like a second family to me."

Katherine sighed slightly: "They are very nice; and I very much enjoyed dancing with Diana's husband. He is quite the gentleman."

"Well now, I'm not quite sure what Fred would make of being called that!" Anne laughed. "Though he is very nice and he has made Diana **very** happy, for which I shall always be grateful."

Here they were interrupted by the arrival of their order, and ate for a while in silence, before Anne spoke up again: ""Milk or lemon?" Anne asked pouring Katherine a cup of tea.

"Milk please." Katherine replied. "You were right Anne, Bright River is lovely. Such a busy place. I must admit though, it seems strange for none of the signs to have the name Pringle on them!"

"Yes it does." Anne giggled. "Are you happy with your paints, Katherine?"

Katherine's face lit up: "Yes thank you. They are just right."

Anne smiled approvingly: "Good, then I'll look forward to seeing what you make of that view you had in mind. It's a very nice one; although you must come and visit us in the winter. Everything looks very different covered in snow."

"I'd like that Anne, very much; if Miss Cuthbert will let me."

Try as she might, Anne just couldn't hold back a gale of laughter: " **Let you**! Marilla would scold me from here all the way back to Kingsport if I didn't have you visit us for Christmas!"

By now Katherine was giggling gently: "Thank you, I'd love that!" Here she poured them both some more tea and became more serious again: "Before you say it Anne, I know there is no rush, but I think I should start looking for somewhere to board. I want to start finding my own life."

Somewhat surprised by this, Anne set down her tea cup a little unsteadily: "Of course Katherine, you must do what you think best, but please don't think we want you to leave. If my engagement…"

Katherine shook her head: "No, no, it's not that;" (even though it was just a little), "I need to start learning how to be KIB again."

"KIB?" Anne was confused.

Her companion soon explained: "KIB, from my initials, Katherine Isabelle Brooke. Once, when I was about nine years old, I stayed with a married distant cousin of my father. I must have been there 6 months I suppose. They were very kind, and KIB was their nickname for me. But then my father's cousin died in childbirth and I had to move on."

"Oh Katherine, I'm sorry." Anne said quietly, know that the barriers would probably go back up if she showed more overt sympathy, and not wanting to pry.

Katherine looked up from where her gaze had been fixed on tablecloth. Her eyes were slightly damp but Anne diplomatically pretended not to notice that as her friend carried on speaking with a slightly forced cheerfulness: "Anyway, I thought having seen the place, I might try here, in Bright River. It's close enough for us to visit, but far enough for me to learn to stand on my own two feet. What do you think Anne?"

A somewhat stunned Miss Shirley took a couple of seconds to phrase her answer carefully: "I think that if that is what you want, it'll take a bit of planning, but it's a very good idea." she said.

"Then you will help?" Katherine asked, still slightly surprised that Anne was willing to be so charitable, given their history.

"Yes, of course. Though, to be honest, Mrs. Lynde may be more use to you. She's **bound** to know of somebody out this way who'd be willing to take in a 'respectable boarder'. And I ask you, who could be more respectable than an ex 'Schoolmarm'!"

This caused a good deal of giggling but eventually the pair finished their meal, argued gently over the bill, which Katherine insisted on paying, and made their way back to the buggy.

Taking their usual seats at the quilting bee, the late arrival of Marilla and Rachel caused something of a stir. With the Minister's wife in the circle to however, nobody dared question them directly about it. Neither Rachel nor Marilla could have expected to get away with having a mystery entirely though, so Marilla was anything but surprised when Mrs Pye made a 'polite' enquiry.

"Why Marilla, I was sure you would leave our little 'circle' now; what with Anne having no **real** family to help her sew her trousseau and all."

Rachel gasped in horror, and a few of the other women turned pale, but they all knew that Marilla was more than capable of seeing off a Pye 'pleasantry'. Miss Cuthbert drew herself up to her full height and with a fixed smile on her face replied: "The wedding is a long way off yet Harriet. Gilbert must finish medical school. There will be more than enough time for doilies and things come winter. Anne is a capable seamstress and has plenty of **friends** to help her. **If** your young Josie ever marries, you will have a much harder time with the preparations what with her having **just** family and so many of them being scattered and all."

Routed and indignant Harriet Pye left the gathering as soon as breeding would allow, 'an awful headache' being her excuse and everyone else bit back their smiles with some difficulty.

Gilbert Blythe arrived back from Charlottetown looking mighty pleased with himself. John Blythe noticed this but try as he could get no more out of his only son than that he had been for a cycle ride. The older man let the subject drop but disappeared upstairs until supper, leaving Gilbert to chat to his mother as she stood on the porch.

"Mr. Gillis was asking me today if you'd be selling Lancelot, what with you being away at school. He wants to teach his youngest boy to ride."

It was on Gil's lips to refuse outright, for he was fond of his horse, but then he had an idea: "Well, I'll not sell Lancelot (how would I get to ride out when I come home?), but I might be willing to rent him out, in term time."

Mrs Blythe looked a little surprised: "That could work I suppose. Mr Gillis said he'd see you after church on Sunday."

"Alright, thanks."

"Are you going over to Green Gables today?"

"I am, but not until after supper; Anne has taken Miss Brooke to Bright River for the day." Gilbert answered cheerfully.

"Well, when you do, please invite Miss Cuthbert to supper next Wednesday if she can make it. She and I have barely had the chance to talk since the engagement what with all the comings and goings."

"I'll be sure to ask, mother;" Gilbert smiled, "but don't look so tense, Miss Cuthbert is really quite nice once you get to know her!"

Mrs Blythe looked far from certain: "I don't know Gil, she's always so sharp with both eyes & tongue, & I'd swear she's never completely forgiven me for marrying your father when she was sweet on him!"

Gil turned away to hide a grin. In the back of his mind he conceded that his mother may well have a point there, but he certainly wasn't about to tell her that: "Well, why don't you start doing something practical about it, like, oh I don't know, planning the menu?"

Without another word Mrs. Blythe pounced on her cookery books & Gilbert sighed as he went upstairs to get ready for supper & warn his father of his mother's plans. Something told him it was going to be a **long** time between now  & next Wednesday evening!

Marilla busied herself in the kitchen as she heard Anne & Katherine return, mostly to save herself from giving the surprise away. She need not have worried though, for Rachel was there to quiz Anne & Katherine about their day. Soon the front parlour table was covered in brown paper packaging & string & Mrs. Lynde was thoroughly enjoying criticising Anne's purchases (she would never have been so impolite as to comment, verbally at least, on a visitor's tastes), & quizzing them about exactly who they had met etc :"So Johanna Slone is in town is she? We haven't seen her in these parts since she moved to Toronto 3 winters ago to marry that store-keeper of hers. Too good for small, provincial Avonlea after living in the big city I suppose! I wondered what became of her!"

"Well, it's Johanna Marshall now Rachel, and as to what became of her, well you can decide that for yourself at church on Sunday." Anne smiled, knowing full well that Mrs Lynde would do just exactly that.

If Rachel had been about to retort she was stopped from doing so by Katherine's rising from the table. "Excuse me; I'll just go and give Marilla her Lavender water while I think of it. Mrs Lynde, can I get you anything as I'm up?"

"Yes please Katherine; could you get the afghan from the chair in my room? There's a chill these nights."

"Of course."

Having fetched Rachel's rug, Katherine hovered a little nervously by the kitchen door reluctant to start a conversation; some habits were going to take a while to break. Not wanting to startle Marilla whilst the older woman was carrying a newly boiled kettle Katherine eventually opted for a tap on the doorframe. Marilla set the kettle down & turned to her houseguest with a smile.

"Hello Katherine. Would you like some tea?" she asked.

"Yes please Miss Cuthbert. I have your Lavender water & your change here for you."

"Thank you. Leave them on the counter top for me please. Did you enjoy Bright River?"

"Oh yes! It'll be a lovely place to live."

Marilla was more than a little surprised: "So, our little Island has caught your heart, has it Katherine?"

"Yes, I suppose it has." Katherine replied thoughtfully. "Enough for me to want to stay awhile anyway. I was hoping you or Mrs Lynde might know of a boarding house in Bright River?"

"Well now, we'll see what we can do." Here Marilla looked out of the window & saw Gilbert Blythe heading up the road. "Anne! Gilbert's here!"

Again to Marilla's surprise, it was Rachel who answered: "She was watching from the window & out before he reached the fence post Marilla. I'm sure it can't be right to seem so keen!"

By now Marilla was carrying the tea tray into the parlour followed by Katherine: "Leave them be Rachel. They've waited longer than enough to be happy." Here her tone turned from gentle reproach to enthusiasm: "Besides, it turns out we have a lot more to discuss with Miss Brooke than we thought!"

Both Katherine's & Rachel's curiosity was piqued by the statement & Anne's seeming lack of propriety was forgotten.

Gilbert saw Anne coming & hurried to greet her, lifting her off her feet & spinning her around as he did so. Before she could even cry out with surprise Anne found herself being very thoroughly kissed. "I take it that means you missed me?" she asked breathlessly as Gil set her back on the ground.

"Horribly!" Gil nodded laughing. "But tell me Anne-girl, did you & Katherine have a good time in Bright River?"

"Well apart from missing you like mad to, I had a fine time, & as for Katherine, she likes Bright River so much she wants to move there!"

"No!" Gil exclaimed as he gestured for Anne to sit beside him on 'their' tree stump. "This is a tale I have to hear!" He then listened as intently as ever as Anne told her tale waiting until she was done to comment. "Well who'd have thought it?" he said shaking his head slightly in disbelief.

"Not me, that's for sure!" Agreed Anne. "I'll tell you Gil, you could have knocked me over with a feather when she asked about boarding houses!"

"Oh I don't know about that Anne Shirley, seems to me it took quite a bit more than a feather to finally sweep you off your feet!"

The arrival of a third voice at first startled them, then had them both jumping to their feet in delight: "Miss Stacey! Whatever are you doing here?! I thought you were in Boston!" cried Anne joyfully hugging her old teacher tightly.

"Well I was, but then I got an urgent cable from Diana telling me that my two star pupils had **finally** come to their senses, done the decent thing  & fallen in love. So the first blessed minute I could I booked a train ticket & scurried back here to see the miracle for myself!"

Soon the relative peace of Green Gables parlour was shattered by the arrival of Anne's surprise visitor. Marilla and Rachel were quite as stunned and delighted as the young lovers, and if Katherine was a little uncomfortable at first, once she saw that any of the slights of the past had been forgiven and forgotten, she too relaxed. Over tea and plum puffs, Muriel Stacey explained what had happened again, adding gleefully that she would be staying with Diana and Fred during her visit. "Ooh! Diana will pay for this!" Anne cried in mock outrage.

Gilbert couldn't help but laughing at this: "Easy Anne-girl! After all, with what you did to her at the bonfire, I'd say 'turnabout's fair play'!"

"Gilbert has a point Anne." Marilla agreed with a wry smile.

"Alright, so now we're even." Anne admitted.

"How long will you be in Avonlea Miss Stacey?" Rachel asked, wanting as always to have all the facts.

"Oh two weeks, possibly three. It depends on whether I'm needed to help set up for the new term at KLC. The board have asked, because of my teaching experience, that I take over as Headmistress until the post can be filled permanently."

Here Katherine reddened: "I'm sorry Miss Stacey; whatever my own feelings, I should never have left the school 'high and dry' as I did."

"Please Miss Brooke don't trouble yourself." Muriel smiled. "In fact, I'm quite looking forward to 'returning to the fray'."

Out of the corner of his eye, Gilbert saw Katherine's barely repressed shudder at these words and decided that now was as good a time as any to change the subject. "Oh, by the way Miss Cuthbert, my mother was wondering if you would join my parents for supper on Wednesday evening? I know she's keen to talk over a few things with you."

Marilla was surprised by this but only someone who'd known her as well as Rachel or Anne had would have been able to tell. "That's very kind of your mother Gilbert. You may tell her that I accept gladly. Oh, and have her send word by yourself or Anne if she would like me to bring anything."

"I will. I know she will be very pleased to see you." Gilbert assured her.

During this conversation Anne had been discreetly watching Rachel and now couldn't decide whether Mrs Lynde was bristling more from indignation at not having been invited or from curiosity as to what would be said over dessert. Anne understood however; there were still some things it was Marilla's place alone to do and this was one of them. Rachel would realise that to, once she got over feeling slighted, though she would doubtless huff and puff a good deal in private first!

News of Miss Stacey's arrival spread very quickly and started a flutter of gossip in Avonlea. For the most part Avonlea's residents were merely pleased to see an old friend, but there were a few people (namely those who had the merest drop of Pye blood in their veins), who were less than kind amongst themselves. "Well, I always knew Miss Muriel Stacey had her favourites. You could see that the minute she picked her Queen's class; I mean you can't blame her for wanting to help a poor orphan, but still! After all, she was nowhere to be seen for Alice's wedding or even the Wright's wedding, but Anne Shirley only has to get engaged & she drops everything!"

Word of this cruel talk got back to Anne (as of course it was meant to), but she tried not to let it get to her. She and Miss Stacey talked it over a couple of days later on an evening stroll by the Lake of Shining Waters. "Why do you think some people react so badly to such good news Miss Stacey?" Anne asked.

"I wish I knew Anne, maybe it takes longer to 'chew over' that way?" Miss Stacey suggested.

"Hmm maybe; if poor Mrs Harris was still alive she'd have a colourful answer for me!" The younger woman sighed.

"She would indeed!" Miss Stacey giggled. "Oh, that reminds me I got a note from Emmeline this morning."

Anne's face lit up: "You did! How is she?!"

"She's fine, in fact, reading between the lines, I'd say she's really starting to blossom. She was full of news about visiting her Aunt Pauline. She's so much more confident now."

"It's great to see. Katherine's changing to; actually, I want your opinion on something there…" The rest of their walk was spent discussing the 'something'.

Katherine sat at her bedroom window & carefully opened her paints. She had deliberately waited until she was alone at Green Gables, for some reason she was more than a little nervous about this. Maybe it was purely because she was not yet used to doing things simply because she wanted to do so. Anne was over at the Wright's, Rachel had gone to call on Johanna Slone & Marilla was out in the back field inspecting the fence. So KIB had complete privacy as she put guide pencil to paper. As she drew the first few lines she half expected someone to come in & tell her that she couldn't draw a straight line if she tried, but of course no-one did. Soon however the pencil had taken on a life of it's own & she had let go of her nerves & she lost herself in her work.

Gilbert put the finishing touches to his first crossword & smiled to himself, a satisfied man. He looked at his watch & realised that if he hurried he would just make the post office before it closed. At least he would make his first deadline for sure; he might even be able to start the second puzzle early! Hurrying downstairs & grabbing his jacket, he quickly got his bike out, acknowledged the call from his mother that she needed him to get her some flour for yet new **another** recipe she was trying out (His father's jackets had had to be let out once already!)  & set out at top speed. He saw Mr. Gillis on the road & agreed to stop by the Gillis barn on the way home to talk about Lancelot. Mr Gillis looked puzzled but agreed.

Anne meanwhile, sat on the Wright's back porch chewing her pencil & trying to compose her next paragraph. She often chose to write while baby –sitting baby Fred. It was something she could do without fear of waking the sleeping child & imagining him reading her stories when he was older helped her to construct her sentences. It also let Diana catch up on her cleaning, baking etc. Diana was baking now, & the smell of meat pie was beginning to drift through the open kitchen window, making Anne glad she was staying to supper. Also taking some of the weight off the new mother's shoulders, Miss Stacey was doing a few little sewing jobs on the other end of the porch. She would be heading back to Kingsport in a few days, but hopefully she & Anne would have Katherine on board with their 'little plan'. She hoped so, she had a feeling it would be good for both younger women.

Realising that luck was with him today, Gil ate quickly & not wanting to get in his mother's way in the kitchen, he retreated to his new 'puzzling place', the old apple barn. From there he could see Anne on the way back from Orchard Slope & walk her the rest of the way home. They wouldn't see each other the next day, he'd miss Anne a lot of course, but helping Charlie Sloane to choose a car would be fun!

Marilla looked anxiously at her best dress, she hadn't worn it in longer than she cared to think about & though that wouldn't usually have worried about it the last thing she wanted to do was let Anne down at dinner tomorrow night. Perhaps if she made a few small changes? New collar, cuffs & buttons, yes she could manage that! More upbeat now, she went to find her sewing basket. She would sit on the front porch for the best light; it shouldn't be a big job, not too much of a strain on her eyes. She had the pearl buttons from her old spring blouse; some of the cream blouse material would make a nice contrast to her dark blue dress, yes that would do well. And she thought with a chuckle, that she'd wear her amethyst brooch on her shawl just to make Anne smile.

Katherine saw Miss Stacey coming up the lane towards Green Gables & her heart flipped over. She was still alone & she hadn't been alone with Muriel Stacey since that awful business over KLC! Oh, if only someone would come home, even Mrs Lynde! But no rescue was in sight & Miss Stacey had her hand on the gate post! At first Katherine considered not answering the door, but that would not only be childish, it would be shameful to the hosts she was growing so fond of, the door must be answered. Stealing herself as she had before so many classes, she opened the door. "Miss Stacey, hello."

"Hello Katherine, how are you today?" Miss Stacey smiled.

"Hello Miss Stacey, I'm fine, you saw Miss Cuthbert on the back porch, but I'm afraid I'm alone just now."

"That's fine Katherine; as a matter of fact it's you I came to see. May I come in please?"

By now, Katherine was so stunned she momentarily forgot her manners: "What? Why? Oh, of course, come through." She said, biting down a surge of panic.

"A motor car?! Gil, why on EARTH would Charlie Sloane want a motor car?! How can he afford it?!" Anne couldn't have been more surprised if Gil had said Charlie was buying a dragon.

Gil chuckled: "Well, he's got himself a job in an engineering firm in Halifax, so he's using the money his grandmother left to buy a car to get him there and back at weekends." He explained.

"Well, it sounds like a good idea, I suppose, IF it's safe. You will be careful riding in one, won't you darling?" Anne said doubtfully.

"Of course Anne, but it's safe, I promise." He pacified her with a kiss on the head and an apple.

"And you won't be late for dinner?"

"I wouldn't dare!" Gil said honestly.

"Very sensible. Is that why you're hiding in the apple barn so much lately?" his fiancée teased.

Feeling as though he'd been caught with his hand in the cookie jar, Gil squirmed: "I'm not hiding Sweetheart, just planning our future in peace & quiet."

Anne looked askance at Gil, unconvinced, but allowed thoughts of **their** future to take first place in her mind, for now.

"Oh, **our** future, hmm? I have a few ideas on that to but you go first." She chuckled.

"Well, I suppose the first thing will be getting Green Gables sorted out so that there's still enough room for us, Marilla & Rachel." Gil said thoughtfully.

Anne slumped down on a nearby hay-bail frowning as she did so: "I didn't think of that! 1 thing I do know though, however awkward it is, I could never sleep anywhere but my gable room."

"I wouldn't dream of asking you to; don't worry darling, we'll have time to think of something."

Gil said hoping he was right & moving to stand behind Anne with his hands on her shoulders. They stayed that way for a while, silently being together. Suddenly Anne decided to let Gil in on hers & Miss Stacey's plan, but not without first swearing him to absolute secrecy. Gil listened carefully to the idea, shaking his head in amazement every now & them.

"Well, when Katherine agrees, it'll be a superb idea!" was his verdict.

"When? Don't you mean **if** Katherine agrees? Hopefully Miss Stacey's talking to her as we speak." Anne said, looking doubtfully up at Gilbert.

"No, I mean **when** , everyone knows you & Muriel Stacey together are unstoppable when you get going!"

With that, Gil offered her his hand to help her up, & he & Anne went over to the Blythe Farm to await further word of the plan.

Katherine Brooke looked at Muriel Stacey in complete & total shock: "Me? Are you quite sure?!" she asked shakily.

"Absolutely certain of it;" Miss Stacey beamed, "Anne told me she knew the blessed minute she saw your work. You know Anne once she gets an idea in her head nothing will shift it."

Katherine stood up & walked over to the parlour window, deep in thought: "One question; why didn't Anne ask me herself?" she asked.

"She didn't want you to feel obliged to yes just because you are staying here at the moment." Miss Stacey answered honestly. "She's over at Gilbert's house just now."

"It would be happening anyway?" Katherine queried.

"Certainly. Anne wants to buy herself some time to work on her next book; this was the only way she could get her publisher to agree."

"How many illustrations would be needed for the second edition?" Katherine was clearly interested.

"That would be between you, Anne & the publisher." Miss Stacey said carefully.

Miss Stacey saw Miss Brooke's shoulders had tightened & her heart went over in her chest. Miss Brooke turned around, her old stern look having returned:

"Miss Stacey, would you please let Miss Cuthbert know that I have gone to the Blythe Farm?" she asked stiffly before hurrying out of the back door.

"Of course Katherine." Miss Stacey sighed, hoping the plan wasn't headed for total disaster.

The kitchen of the Blythe Farm was a whirlwind of activity & delicious smells filled the whole farmhouse. Anne's offer to help Mrs Blythe having been politely but quickly declined, Anne sat in the parlour talking to Gil & Mr. Blythe. John Blythe was a clever, quick-witted, man who spent a lot of the little spare time the farm left him reading. Anne liked him & he liked her (now that he was over his fear that 'the apple doesn't fall from the tree' & discovered that there were both similarities between her & Marilla). This particular evening the conversation had turned to a city they had all visited, Boston. Anne had been 'down there' during her time at KLC & the Blythe had lived there for quite a while whilst Mr Blythe was being treated for a serious illness, not long before & Anne & Gil had met. As ever when the subject of Mr Blythe's illness came up, Anne listened very carefully. She wasn't sure it was a 'proper' way to react but Anne always loved hearing about how that time had shaped Gilbert & his determination to be a doctor. At first she'd got the feeling that the stories had been 'edited' for a lady's ears, but these days Gil knew better than to do that & Mr Blythe was a lot more relaxed with her inquisitive outlook on life. On this occasion, Gil was telling the tale of the time he'd got lost in the hospital & somehow found his way to the medical library: "I was only discovered in my corner because the book I tried to get off the shelf was so heavy I dropped it. Come to think of it, I was really lucky it didn't land on my foot; crutches would have been the last thing I needed!" he chuckled.

"Your poor mother must have out of her mind with worry!" Anne chided.

Gil shook his head: "Actually no, at least not at first; she'd sent to the pharmacy to get father's medicine so she didn't miss me for about an hour. I was on the way back when I took a wrong turning. I suppose I just saw all those books & lost track of time. The long words fascinated me to; I couldn't understand how words could be that long!"

Here John Blythe took up the story: "Meanwhile, Gilbert's mother noticed he'd been gone too long & I was almost due for my medicine. She retraced his steps to the pharmacy, found out he'd been & gone, tried the shop & the chapel, but there was no sign of him. As you can imagine, she was frantic. Anyway, to cut a long story very short, we were lucky it was Dr Blair who found Gilbert & brought him back. My medicine was a little late but I was fine."

By this point Gil was looking grim. It was obvious that he still felt bad about the whole thing. Anne looked a little nervous but put a hand over his. This seemed to encourage him to finish his story: "As punishment my mother made me learn to spell 10 of those fascinating words every day for a week, Dr Blair requested that I write definitions for him to use in his lectures (for scaring my mother), & the rest, as they say, is history."

Anne was about to reply when Mrs Blythe appeared in the doorway, looking more than a little perplexed:

"Anne my dear, Miss Brooke is here to see you. I asked her in of course, but she said she'd rather wait outside."

Anne's heart dropped. She feared this was going to be another spat with Katherine & she didn't have the energy for that.

"I'd better walk her home Gil." She said turning to her fiancé with some trepidation.

Gil squeezed her hand reassuringly. "Ok I'll be over tomorrow evening at 7 with the buggy to bring you for dinner, alright?"

"Alright; if I still have my head on my shoulders!" she giggled nervously, settling her shawl, saying hurried goodbyes & heading out the door.

Katherine was standing with her back to the house, her posture reminded Anne of 'the bad old days' & she bit back a sigh & spoke up: "Katherine?"

When Miss Brooke turned around Anne's heart sank again. The bespectacled lady was all Brooke, there wasn't a trace of KIB in her eyes: "Miss Shirley. Miss Stacey came to see me this evening. She told me about your business proposal. I have just one question for now; am I REALLY still so frightening that you couldn't talk to me yourself?"

Anne formulated her answer VERY carefully: "Well, I didn't want you to feel obliged to say yes just because you're staying with us for now, & if I can be frank, I've only met KIB a few times still & I wasn't totally sure if she'd stay around." She waited.

Katherine stood there for a few seconds, taking the reply in & then said: "KIB is getting stronger though? I'm trying really hard, you know."

Anne's heart softened a little & she felt just a little guilty: "I know Katherine, believe me & it's working. I do need an illustrator, the publisher told me so when I was in Kingsport; this isn't charity, I'll show the letter if you like. I need an illustrator & you're a talented artist; it's as simple as that."

KIB made a tentative appearance: "I wouldn't have to go back to Kingsport, would I? I'm not ready for that yet." She shivered.

Anne shook her auburn head: "No, at least not yet. Our first project would be a second edition of my Avonlea book."

"In that case, arrange a meeting with the publisher & see what they have to say." KIB smiled.

Anne smiled with relief, shook hands on the deal & they headed back to Green Gables to inform an anxious Miss Stacey of the decision.

The next morning Anne woke with a start. The first thing she felt was a nervous flutter in her tummy; today was the day of the engagement dinner. It just HAD to go well! Anything else would be too awful! Knowing that she had no hope of more sleep, she got up, washed her hair & sitting by the fire to help to help it dry she began to write. Now that she had another deal to fulfil, she knew she would need to write whenever the muse was with her. Besides the escape of writing had always been calming to her. She couldn't help but chuckle to help to herself as she decided to change the name of Kingsport to Queen Mary's Quay! She'd been writing for about 45 minutes when she heard someone up & about. Packing away her things, she went to put the kettle on. Just as she did so, Mrs Lynde came in: "Good morning Anne. Did you sleep well?"

"Yes thank you Rachel, did you?" Anne asked setting out the breakfast things.

"I did." Mrs Lynde said, sounding a little surprised by this as always: "I was tired from such a busy day yesterday I think. I wrote several letters on Katherine's behalf & posted them. I think either Mrs Hester King or Mrs Amelia Lawson may be able to help her."

Anne nodded: "Either of those would be ideal, I think. I haven't met Mrs King but Mrs Lawson is very nice."

"As you say." Rachel agreed. "Oh good morning Marilla, Katherine."

The 2 women greeted both Anne & Rachel & all 4 sat down to breakfast.

Katherine looked up from her porridge: "Anne, I realised something silly last night; there's no point whatsoever in my trying to illustrate a book I've never even read! Do you have a copy I could borrow?"

Anne giggled: "Of course, I should have thought of that! I'll get you 1 in a minute. Marilla, is there anything you need me to do today?"

Miss Cuthbert thought for a second: "Nothing unusual, no. Today's no day to worry about that paddock fence." She smiled at Anne, her thoughts clearly on that evening.

Rachel sniffed pointedly. KIB picked up on this & spoke up:

"Mrs Lynde? I thought this evening you might be kind enough to show me how to make that fine meat pie of yours? I'll need to know how to cook a few things if I'm to fend for myself."

Rachel smiled: "Thank you Katherine, I'd be happy to help. May we use the kitchen please, Marilla? My small stove will never do for a demonstration."

Only Anne saw Rachel cast a glance heavenward but she could hardly refuse in the circumstances: "Of course Rachel, you know where everything is & goes, don't you?"

"Of course." Said Rachel, with just the merest hint of both slight & triumph in her voice. "Your kitchen will be found just as you left it Marilla, never fear."

By now both Anne & Marilla were now busily clearing the table & avoiding all eyes. After that Anne got KIB her book & they both went out onto the front porch, Anne to write & KIB to read.

In the late afternoon Anne look at the 2 outfits laid out on her bed & sighed dramatically. Whichever should she wear?! She SO wanted to make the right impression on Mrs Blythe! Martha Blythe was known to be a quiet, shy woman & as yet her daughter-in-law to be didn't know her very well. That was 1 of the reasons Anne wanted her choice of clothes to be right, she didn't want to seem above herself, but nor did she want anyone to think that tonight didn't matter to her. Once again she studied her options carefully. They were the skirt and blouse she liked but had been worn so often that they must now unmistakably be called 'everyday' or the dress she'd bought the last time she'd been in Charlottetown. To be sure the dress had been more expensive than was entirely wise, but it was such a pretty shade of blue that she'd been unable to resist. In the end, the fact that Gil hadn't seen the dress yet decided the matter & she began to get dressed.

Gil sat in his room, working to stay ahead of the game on his crossword job & if he was honest, staying out of his mother's way. Poor Mrs Blythe was beside herself with worry that everything should be perfect for this evening. The house had been cleaned from attic to cellar, what baking there was to be done was well underway & she had even made his father paint the picket fence yesterday! When this was over tomorrow, Gilbert would buy her some chocolates as a thank you. (Mrs Blythe had a particular weakness for chocolate but rarely allowed herself any). Gil appreciated her efforts, really, but he also knew that his mother's opinion of Marilla Cuthbert coloured by past events & was a little harsh. He knew that (these days at least), Anne's foster-mother could be good company once she relaxed. He would try his very best to relax her on the way over, he decided. That would hopefully make things a bit easier on everyone. Just then he noticed the clock on his bedroom wall & packing his things away quickly, he headed downstairs to get the buggy out & make his way over to Green Gables.

It was Anne who saw Marilla first as she came down the stairs & she gasped: "Oh Marilla, you look perfectly elegant! And your amysthest brooch to!"

"Well now child, I don't about know your 'elegant', but you look mighty smart yourself & as for the brooch I just thought I'd better wear it rather than risk having stolen whilst we are out!"

Both women chuckled at the memory that brought back.

Just then Rachel put her head around her bedroom door: "Gilbert has just come around the corner of the lane. Have a nice time."

"We will, thank you Rachel. Everything yourself & Katherine might need is laid out for you in the kitchen. We'll see you for sure in the morning. Come along Anne."

"Ready Marilla; good night Rachel, Katherine."

With that, they were gone.

Gilbert greeted both women with a dazzling but genuine smile: "Good evening ladies!" he called, touching his cap to Marilla & jumping down from the buggy to assist them inside.

"Hello Gilbert. How are you today? I see you survived your 'adventure' with a motor car. Yes, Anne told me all about it." Marilla smiled, making it clear that she was unsure of the wisdom of such machines.

"I'm fine thank you Miss Cuthbert. Hello Anne."

"Gil." Anne smiled prettily, accepting his hand & being helped in to the buggy beside Marilla. "Did Charlie choose his motor car then?"

"Yes he did & he's mighty pleased with it. He'll have to wait until next month to get it though & then he goes to Toronto to collect it. It's a fine thing but I'm not sure it's worth all this trouble to get. I'm happy with the buggy, my bicycle & Lancelot. The telephone we saw, now that's another matter…" Most of the rest of the journey to the Blythe farm was taken up with his explanation.

Anne, as ever when Gil spoke listened intently. She'd always done that whether she liked what she was hearing or not & as ever when Gil finished speaking, it was to Anne he turned to first for a reaction:

"What do you say Anne; do you think telephones will catch on?"

"Well, maybe not for every day; but I can see how they would be useful for a doctor or even a minister say. If for instance Lawson's & Doc Blair had one, folks could get help a lot faster when they needed it."

"Oh Anne, poor Alice would never know a minute's peace, bells going off everywhere; the very thought!" Marilla shuddered.

"I am quite sure Alice wouldn't mind if it saved a life Marilla; think of the use one would have been to me when Minnie-Mae Barry took for the croup!"

Marilla sighed:

"I'll grant you that Anne, but remember it when you are the Drs wife with a constant headache!"

Gilbert looked back at these words & all three shared a smile.

Soon the Blythe's farmhouse came into view, & though none of them would ever openly admit it, 3 hearts picked up their pace a notch & 3 stomachs flipped. They were all nervous FOR each other; each wanting things to go perfectly for the other two's sake. Marilla was wishing with all her heart that Mathew's calm, steadying presence was beside her, Anne was wishing she had asked Diana to join them (Mrs Barry & Mrs Blythe where distant cousins through their mothers, & got along just famously; as a result Diana had spent almost as much time there over the years as Anne was now), & Gil, well Gil was trembling with excitement at the thought of introducing Anne as his fiancée, a thrill he had been saving for this particular moment Gilbert slowed Lancelot & the buggy as his parents came to the gate to greet their esteemed guest (Anne Shirley they already regarded as family).

Gilbert bit back a smile as he saw Jerry Blunt waiting at the side of the house to see to Lancelot & the buggy for him. Oh this really was the full 'red carpet' treatment! Still, both Anne & Marilla deserved it. He & Anne shared a smile as he helped her down from the buggy. He could tell from the twinkle in her eyes & the slight squeeze of his hand that she had seen it to. Anne nodded slightly & stepped back a little.

Grinning now, Gilbert offered Marilla his arm: "Miss Cuthbert?"

"Gilbert." Marilla thanked him with a genuine but still tense smile as she looped her arm through his.

He stepped the merest fraction closer hoping to reassure her as his mother opened the gate:

"Miss Cuthbert! Welcome to Blythe Farm!"

Martha Blythe looked as though she would have loved to bustle her guest inside but this was one of those times when due formalities must be observed. According Gil released Marilla's arm as he said:

"Miss Cuthbert, you remember my father John & my mother Martha; Mother, Father, may I introduce Miss Marilla Cuthbert? Of course you know my fiancée, Anne."

Gil's smile could have lit up the ballroom of the White Sands Hotel as he watched realisation dawn & colour rise in Anne's cheeks.

"Mrs Blythe, Mr Blythe; thank you for inviting us." Marilla replied in what only Anne could tell was a nervous tone.

Here John Blythe stepped forward & both Anne & Gilbert held their breath:

"Do come in, Miss Cuthbert, we'll have tea in the parlour."

Tea began as an awkward, stiff & formal affair which made Gil's heart sink like a stone. A stolen, despairing glance at Anne showed him she was feeling the same way. He had heard of prospective in-laws not liking a potential bride or groom, but them being almost afraid of each other was another thing entirely! For want of a way to break the ice, Gilbert asked Marilla if she would like some more tea.

"Yes please Gilbert. You know I see Anne already calls your mother Martha, I think you can call me Marilla now, if you would like to?"

Both young people smiled at what was clearly Marilla making an effort.

"Yes thank you, I would like that very much Marilla." Gilbert said fondly.

Marilla's cheeks coloured slightly:

"You are welcome Gilbert; I cannot speak for Rachel though, she may be Mrs Lynde for a while yet."

Not quite sure what to say to that, Gilbert merely nodded. Anne, for some irrational reason felt her cheeks flush & a flash of anger; why did Rachel get a say anyway?! It was Marilla & Matthew Anne owed everything to, not their best friend! Anne realised at that precise moment that she was, to be quite frank, tired of Mrs Rachel's way of seeking to control things, & if she, Anne, could find a way, Rachel would NOT do so with she & Gilbert! Oh it wasn't that she didn't LIKE Rachel, in fact she honestly did, it was more that she wanted to CARRY ON liking Rachel.

John Blythe heard Anne's sigh but thankfully had no way of knowing the reason behind it:

"Are you alright Anne?" he asked kindly.

Oh yes Mr Blythe, I'm fine, just a little hot." Anne replied.

John Blythe rose & opened the screen door:

"There child, & it's John please, now we're almost family." He smiled

Anne blushed & smiled, dark thoughts dismissed. "Thank you John."

Now however, it was Gil's turn to sigh:

"Three years is hardly almost Father." It was clear from his voice that three years felt more like thirty.

Anne took his hand & squeezed it, understandingly.

"Anne? May I ask you a favour?" Martha asked, hoping to cheer things.

"Yes, of course, what is it?" Anne answered

"I know you have many friends, & you may have other plans, but will you allow me to help with your Hope Chest, please?"

Anne smiled brightly:

"Oh yes Martha, I was going to ask you; there will be Blythe as well as Cuthbert/Shirley traditions to be kept, after all."

"Thank you dear." Martha beamed

"My pleasure." Anne replied, getting up & hugging her mother-in-law to be warmly. "It's only fair to warn you though, the only thing worse than my needlepoint is my geometry!"

Everyone chuckled. Here Gil spoke up:

"Mother makes the best table cloths & napkins this side of Charlottetown; everyone says."

The pride was obvious in his voice.

"Then we must have a set for very, very best!" Anne beamed.

"It will be my pleasure!" Martha enthused hugging Anne, thereby missing the wink from Gil that made Anne blush prettily.


End file.
